Belly Beyond - Heidi Riley and Louisa Currie

 

www.bellybeyond.co.nz

OHbaby!: How did you start Belly Beyond?
Heidi: Louisa was pregnant with baby number two and determined not to have to fit back into a standard office job, put the kids in daycare, and all that comes with that. So we were discussing business possibilities over dinner at my house and we came up with an idea of putting together a ready-packed bag to take to hospital. The prototype was called, "Here comes the baby bag," and we fondly refer to it as our dinosaur, because looking back, the concept was positively prehistoric! We didn't follow through with that product line, but from that idea, the website www.bellybeyond.co.nz evolved.

OHbaby!: What benefits does the business have for your family?  
Louisa: We can be at home with the kids during the day, and Heidi gets to do school bus-stop pickups and school trips, which was never possible in her other jobs. There is a real sense of achievement for the family when we hit targets and win awards, because the business belongs to all of us.

OHbaby!: What do you most enjoy?
Heidi: Working with my best friend daily. The highs are spectacular and someone else does really understand how much time and energy goes into it. 
Louisa: I also love that we don't have a boss to answer to. And it probably sounds clichéd, but one of the most satisfying parts is all the fantastic feedback we get from customers  and genuinely being able to help people find what they are looking for.

OHbaby!: What are your tips for other mums thinking of starting a business? 
Heidi: Just get started! That's half the battle. Work a little but often on your business ideas and once you have something up and running, you will learn so much more than if you wait and do nothing.

 

 

 

As seen in OHbaby! magazine Issue 9: 2010

Subscribe to OHbaby! magazine
Purchase Issue 9